Cedric's Remorse
by brielle-watterson
Summary: As Cedric had finally done the deed and became King, he cannot help to think about Sofia after a long period of time. But with this comes great misery, and it turns out that not everyone stays with you forever.


*******Okay so the poem in here is very long, and I think I've made a few rhyming mistakes in terms of style, but _**PLEASE**_ ignore those.********

_You're not the Mr. Ceedric I used to know. You're not my sorcerer._

The words hurt him more and more, day by day. At first his ignorance got the best of him, and altogether they meant nothing. But the other night…all of that changed.

He had done it. Somehow, in some way, he finally got the amulet. Cedric didn't really care about anything else after that. After taking it and researching over it a bit, he threw the king from his throne immediately. The guards were ordered to gather the whole royal family and put them in the dungeon. After Cedric had thought about it a little while, he decided that Miranda and Sofia could either stay in the castle or live back in the village-as long as they didn't get in his way. The others…they were sent away.

Killing was never a thing for Cedric, but he _never_ wanted to see Roland's face again. So, along with Baileywick, Amber and James, he forced them to leave Enchancia to God knows where. Hopefully far away.

But Sofia and Miranda stayed, and none of them spoke a word since that day went. The irony is…that was only a few months ago and something happened that Cedric didn't expect. Something that never in his life he thought would happen.

The other night, after finishing his meal when the night began to arise and all was at rest; he walked to his room and sat down at his desk. The candlelight flickered in the air, creating soft shadows off of the dark walls while Wormwood sat on his perch asleep. He became king; he got what he wanted…now what? All of his happy moments and excitement were calmed down now, and suddenly, for the first time in many months since his reign, someone came to his mind. Someone that he hadn't thought about for a long time.

_Sofia…_

He pondered a bit, wondering what she was doing right now. It was the first time she had come to his mind in over many moons, so his curiosity got the best of him, and he suddenly found himself walking down the halls, searching for her room. Miranda and Sofia had separate rooms, and Sofia was lucky enough that Cedric let her keep hers. Miranda, however, since she was the former queen, was replaced with a different room. But she didn't complain. Since he was king now, she knew better. Besides, it seemed that the surprise of him taking over the kingdom left her nothing when it came to words.

The thoughts ran through his head as he silently walked down the walls, wearing his night clothes instead of the puffy cape that he owned, which was black, and his crown. But even though he was king, Cedric still kept his wand on him, and the amulet was locked tightly in a box, hidden in his room so no one would sneak in and steal it.

He reached the door that led to Sofia's room, finding that it was cracked. His pale hand gently pushed it open, a creaking noise silently echoing through the long hallway. As he peeked inside, he noticed that all the lights were off. But, after looking over to his left, he saw a silhouette of a seven year-old sitting at her desk, staring at something that was in her lap. The black outlined told Cedric's eyes that she was in her nightgown, and her tiara lay on the floor, broken.

_ Now why would you break it?_ he thought, lifting his eyebrow. Her tiara was made out of pure silver-why would you break something like that? Something valuable. Cedric felt a little awkward-did she even know he was at the door? His long legs were stiff, and he wanted to leave, but something was keeping him there. Something that he couldn't explain, and left him puzzled. He continued to stare at her, her back facing him, watching her head lower a little more. The moonlight shone brightly throughout the whole room, but Sofia lingered there in the corner, which was smothered in black, allowing her to linger in the darkness. Cedric thought that this was unusual.

"Sofia?"

No answer.

"_Sofia_," he said a little more sharply, trying to capture her attention.

Nothing. Not even a breath of wind. Not a sound. Not a word.

"Insufferable child," he grumbled, closing the door shut and returning to his room. Again, he thought nothing of her bleak behavior, and he thought that she'd get over it soon.

But _oh_, how wrong he was.

As days and nights went by slowly, Cedric started noticing that Sofia never came out of her room. She wasn't going to school-she wasn't doing anything.

_ You're not the Mr. Ceedric I used to know. You're not my sorcerer._

Those were the last words she said ever since Cedric became king. She spoke to no one since. It seemed that after that, she locked herself away, shunning the world and forgetting all of the ones that loved her and that she, in return, loved too. A few months after that, he noticed that she became pale and weak. She came down with illness as he heard her cough and hack whenever he'd pass by her door. He thought it was just a fever and that it would go away soon.

_ Ugh, just get a doctor and she'll be fine_, he thought grudgingly. But Sofia never really seemed to get better. In fact, she became worse. That's when he, once again, noticed another thing about her that was odd. She wasn't eating. She wasn't eating anything at all. No breakfast, no lunch, and no dinner. Not even a snack. The closest she'd get to was water, and that was it. Ever since Cedric became king, everything about her and around her began to change. Her animal friends were gone. Clover, Mia, Robin, Whatnaught-they were all gone.

One night, Cedric spotted Sofia walking through one of the halls late at night. She looked so pale and weary, like a ghost haunting the place where it died. It seemed everything turned dreary whenever she'd appear. She would bring sorrow and darkness wherever she'd go, and it seemed that a small tint of death lingered among it all. He scowled her for it, his mind telling her, "_Get over it_." But no. It was every day. And every night. Back when everything was normal, he would catch her sometimes outside his workshop walking the halls happily, singing. Oh, but no. Not anymore. Not a breath of wind came out of her, and she looked like a dead corpse walking around, it's soul already long gone and had disappeared ages ago.

Miranda, a few mornings after that, came up to him and confronted him for the very first time.

"What do you want?" he grumbled, sitting on his throne while he twirled his wand. His eyes didn't turn to look at her.

"Have you seen what is happening to my daughter, _Cedric?_" she asked flatly, making his name come out of her mouth with a growl.

"Since when do I care about you daughter? She is none of my concern. Besides, I haven't seen such things going on with Sofia. Why are you coming to me about it?"

"_Liar!_" Miranda's voice boomed through the air, catching him off guard. "You have seen the way she walks these halls, Cedric. I know you have! Don't tell me that you don't know anything. Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Cedric rolled his eyes and glanced down at her.

"I'm surprised you're actually opening your mouth. How many months has it been since you spoke?" he asked sarcastically. Miranda's rage grew more and more. She ignored his question.

"Sofia hasn't been eating. She hasn't been talking. She hasn't been doing _anything_ since you made the _dumbest _choice you could ever weather! Who do you think is the cause of all that?"

"A disease?" he mumbled carelessly, gazing back at his wand.

"_You_, you fool!"

"So what? Since when did I have anything to do with her depressing behavior? Since when did she ever say that I was the cause of it? She can continue to be like this for the rest of her life for all I care. As long as she stays out of my way, I don't care what she does or what happens to her."

Each word he said came out with no emotion. Only carelessness.

"I cannot _believe_ what I am hearing! Look, yes, maybe a few people didn't treat you with respect and thought un-highly of you, but you could have changed that with a different way! Not by doing _this!_ This is only going to bring more hate upon you, with everyone knowing that you forcefully took Roland's place! That's not how you get respect! Yes, maybe they call you 'Your Highness' or 'Your Majesty,' but that's only because you are wearing that _God damn crown!_"

Cedric shot straight up in his chair, surprised that she cursed. But she continued before he could do anything.

"You think you're going to get respect around here just because you sit on a fancy chair in a castle dressed like a king?! You'll _never_ be a king! You may sit on that throne and wear that crown but that-that, Cedric-is _not_ what makes you a king. A king has a heart of gold, holding respect and loyalty for others for as long as he lives, and gives a shot at making peace with the ones he is conflicted with. Not just taking over the kingdom over something _idiotic!_ You're not a king! You'll never be a king! Sofia _loved_ you, Cedric! She adored every bit of you! She _looked up_ to you! And you think she's going to _stay your friend_ just because you took over the kingdom and ruined her family?!"

Miranda's voice blasted through the throne room, and her sharp and emotional words began to get to him as his expression changed.

"No, you sad excuse for a sorcerer!" Now _that_ got to him.

"I-" She cut him off.

"You barely had anything when you were in the place as the royal sorcerer, Cedric. And now you've lost e_verything_. Even the one that loved and cared about you the most. I just can't believe you're too blind to see that. As I see Sofia walk these halls now, it's like I am seeing her die right in front of me day by day. Each and every night that passes she loses more of her life, and _you're_ the cause of it!" Miranda turned around and walked to the doors that led to another hall. She turned back to him when she reached it, speaking once more.

"Now you sit there and think about what I said. Then you'll see how much of a sorcerer you really are. And when the day comes where you finally open your eyes and see what you've done, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

And then she left, without another word, leaving Cedric alone with his thoughts. He sat there, stunned at what she just told him. He could have just easily called the guards to take her to the dungeon for disrespecting the king, but her words were too powerful and bore right through him like a wrecking ball. Thus, there was nothing he could do.

That night, Cedric began looking for Sofia, suddenly wanting to see her. Why he wanted to see her and what he was going to say to her…that he didn't know. But it was the least of his worries when he reached her door. With no hesitation, he gently opened it up, and then looked around the dark and silent room. No sign of her.

He searched every nook and cranny, from her closet to under her bed. Cedric started to become confused, knowing that he checked everywhere for her from the halls to the kitchen. And since it was winter, and it was snowing outside, he knew she wouldn't be in the gardens. _Where could she be?_

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a piece of paper lie on her window seat, little faraway scribbles written on it. The closer he went, the clearer the writing became. And soon, he realized it was a small note that was left from her.

_Do you still remember?_

_When it was just you and me_

_How I never really understood_

_With you, how blessed I could be_

_The time lasted forever_

_Not a second too short_

_And how I saw you as something great_

_As I poured my love and friendship into your lonely fort_

_And yet I thought and wondered_

_How stubborn and unfaithful you were_

_The sharp remarks and careless words_

_Your kindness, I'd rather prefer_

_But now I see that ignorance_

_Has taken its final toll_

_And with this, comes great ambition_

_Darkness inside a soul_

_But isn't it kind of funny_

_That at the dark end of the road_

_Someone lights the way_

_With just a single ray of hope?_

_The guilt that plagues you for your crime_

_That I don't know exists_

_After you left without another word, I wonder_

_How could you leave me here like this?_

_With kindness I gave you_

_With love I kept you_

_Here in this heart of mine_

_One that I know will always shine_

_You are someone I believe in_

_And when the tears fall from above_

_Know that I am with you_

_And when I am with you_

_You are loved_

_Though you have casted me out_

_And though you have sent me away_

_Please know that I will think of you_

_Throughout each and every day_

_Take my words and hold them gently_

_Safe inside your mind_

_And please, I beg you_

_Carry my sorrow in kind_

_It hurts when I think of what you did_

_And the pain is more than I can bear_

_Knowing that I have done all that I could_

_To receive your affection and care_

_But as long as I remember_

_The wonderful times we spent together_

_Carrying on flowing conversations_

_Seeing in stubbornness we refuse to surrender_

_I will always bring a smile_

_And through this poem I reach out to you_

_To give you a beloved goodbye as I watch us depart_

_Mile after mile_

_Please remember me_

_As I will remember you_

_Say my name at least once_

_And know that I will always love you_

_I know it may not seem right for you_

_But soon you'll understand_

_The pain that I went through for you_

_And through this, you'll reach out your hand_

_Forgive me for being blind_

_I should have loved you more than I did_

_For with a few single words left unspoken_

_Could leave a tragedy amid_

_So here they are, my sorcerer_

_The ones I always meant to say_

_But could never speak in sound at all_

_From the quick ending of each and every day_

_Carry them in kindness_

_Cherish them in your heart_

_And through these words come my voice_

_That will never die till death do us part_

_Please know that with this too,_

_Come my affection and gratefulness for you_

_And always remember that no sorrow can break through_

_This tightly bond poem that was always meant to say_

_I love you_

That was all it took for Cedric. He rushed out of the room and ran toward the castle doors, slamming them open and running out into the cold winter night. His feet carried him out the back doors where he saw she left, and sprinted into the woods, following her little footsteps that she herself left behind. _Please be okay. Please be okay. Oh, please._

He darted past many trees, and then came to a complete stop when he saw something lying on the ground. _Oh, no._ Cedric ran farther than he ever had in years and picked the motionless body up in his arms, holding it.

"No, no, no, please no!" he cried out loud, wiping the snow off of Sofia's nightgown. She was cold and pale, and Cedric wrapped her up in his arms, holding her close to his chest and cradling her. But it felt like he was holding a lifeless body, and even her scent was beginning to fade. He could even see her thin blue veins show through the skin.

_Winter can be so cruel, Mr. Ceedric._

"Sofia! Sofia, look at me! Speak to me, Sofia! Please!" The king of Enchancia cried out into the night, begging the Lord to bring her back to him and not take her away. But Sofia had been gone for what seemed like moons ago. Cedric cried for her over and over, and soon found himself weeping in regret and guilt. The time of opening his eyes has come. And did it hurt more than ever. _Oh, Sofia. My Sofia… Please…_

"Come back to me," he whispered into her ear. "Oh, please, come back to me. I'm so sorry. Please, Sofia. I can't lose you. Not you! Please! Please…" But it was too late. She was already gone from the world. "I love you…" He kissed the soft flesh of her skin, feeling his tears stream down his face and drip onto the layer of paleness.

Yet it was too late.

_My ignorance and blindness ruins you_

_And you, in turn, shall end me too_


End file.
